IIASA Strengthens Collaboration and Relations with Jordan

AMMAN — HRH Prince Hassan, founder and chairman of the Royal Scientific Society, met earlier this week with a high-level, technical delegation from the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), led by Director General Albert van Jaarsveld.

The meeting was held to consolidate research collaboration in the field of systems analysis with the country’s scientific leaders and research communities. The visit was supported by HRH Princess Sumaya, president of the Royal Scientific Society of Jordan, according to a RSS statement made available to The Jordan Times.

The visit included meeting with scientific and government leaders including Ayman Al Safadi, deputy prime minister and minister of foreign affairs. 

IIASA was able to share the research progress made with their Jordanian counterparts and to demonstrate how IIASA-Jordan collaborative research and the expertise can be made available to help produce effective, science-based policies for tackling difficult national and regional challenges.

In a meeting led by HRH Princess Sumaya, president of the RSS, the technical portion of the RSS visit witnessed IIASA researchers exchange collaborative ideas with their Jordanian counterpart researchers, including Nabeel Al Fayoumi, RSS vice president for Technology, and a number of RSS representatives, said the statement.

With additional visits to the Synchrotron-light for Experimental Science and Application and the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature’s Azraq Wetland Reserve, the IIASA delegation learned about Jordan’s diverse work in promoting and performing international collaborative science and preserving its rich biodiversity through conservation science.

On the sidelines of the visit, the RSS organised a major event to which a number of Jordanian ministers, officials, representatives of the diplomatic corps, academics and the private sector were invited, in the presence of HRH Prince Hassan, to be a panel discussion on all the urgent issues that concern the region and require cooperation and coordination between all these institutions. 

The event focused on the importance of scientific research that ultimately leads to creating awareness and finding sustainable and effective solutions to the global pressing issues, read the statement.

Jordan is a prospective member of IIASA through the RSS, IIASA’s main partner in the kingdom, and this visit built on a longstanding collaboration with HRH Princess Sumaya, who has been influential in positioning and enabling Jordan to be a leader in using science as a catalyst for sustainable development.

Over the past two years, IIASA researchers and their Jordanian counterparts have regularly met to explore common research interests in advancing and building capacity in systems analysis, applying systems science and thinking to local, regional, and global challenges, including water scarcity, sustainable energy transitions, air and water pollution, the impact of climate change on agriculture, and using science to build bridges across national boundaries. 

The visit served to consolidate these common research interests in a strategic plan where research carried out by IIASA is aligned with activities undertaken at RSS and the wider Jordanian research community to ensure Jordan’s membership in IIASA makes an impact for Jordan and the region.

The prospects for this membership are bright, as IIASA and RSS share a mission to build bridges through scientific collaboration and focused research on critical challenges. 

This new collaboration will enable the institutions to implement their strategic plan for the benefit of Jordan, the Middle East, and IIASA’s membership of 23 nations.